Bullhead Lake
Becker County, Minnesota1,067 acresView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for Bullhead Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- 34 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Bullhead Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 1066.73 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2023 caught 0.67 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Bullhead Lake. DNR survey details →
Bullhead Lake is a 1,067-acre lake in Becker County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 34 feet (17-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 14 documented fish species including black bullhead, black crappie, and bluegill. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Bullhead Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.9 ft of visibility
- Fishing14 species recorded
- Ice seasonIce-out around Apr 13
- Deep water34 ft surveyed max depth
- Big water1,067 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Bullhead Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Bullhead Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Bullhead Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.9 ft. TSI 40.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 40 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Bullhead Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2023 caught 0.67 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Bullhead Lake.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bullhead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
13 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2025-06-10 (Targeted Survey).
13 surveys on file · most recent 2025-06-10 (Targeted Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Bullhead | 53.70 | 5–13 in 2022-06-27 | 0.36 lb |
| Yellow Perch | 29.96 | 5–9 in 2022-06-27 | 0.16 lb |
| Bluegill | 22.57 | 3–9 in 2022-06-27 | 0.19 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 16.23 | 9–14 in 2022-06-27 | 0.53 lb |
| Green Sunfish | 8.95 | 3–4 in 2017-06-11 | 0.05 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Black Bullhead
Yellow Perch
Bluegill
Brown Bullhead
From the 2025-06-10 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Little Cormorant Lake on June 10th, 2025, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 91 survey sites evenly spaced 400 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones:…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Bullhead Lake. 3 reports on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — Little CormorantFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Fish Stocking History — Little CormorantFish Stocking History · MN DNR LakeFinder
- —Public Water Access Sites — Little CormorantPublic Water Access Sites · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
34 ft
Average depth
17 ft
Surface area
1,067 acres
Shoreline
24.1 mi
Littoral zone
58%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
0 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
1,378 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS).
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Bullhead Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bullhead Lake in Becker County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Bullhead Lake
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Follow Bullhead Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Bullhead Lake
Water quality readings over time
2 seasons of samples on record (2022–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening2 years
Ice season
Typical ice-out
Apr 13
Earliest Mar 22, 2012 · Latest May 10, 2013
Typical ice-in
Nov 20
Earliest Nov 8, 2003 · Latest Dec 30, 2024
Most recent ice-out
Apr 5
2024
30 observations · Minnesota PCA ice records
Nearby Lakes in Becker County
Frequently asked questions about Bullhead Lake
Where is Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake is a lake in Becker County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake in Becker County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.9 ft visibility. Maximum depth: 34 ft. Surface area: 1066.73 acres.
Is Bullhead Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bullhead Lake?
- Bullhead Lake has a maximum depth of 34 feet and an average depth of 17 feet. The lake covers 1066.73 acres.
What fish are in Bullhead Lake?
- Fish species found in Bullhead Lake include black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch. Bullhead Lake is located in Becker County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Bullhead Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Targeted Survey on July 5, 2023 caught 0.67 northern pike per hour of electrofishing at Bullhead Lake. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Bullhead Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 2 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
When does Bullhead Lake thaw?
- Bullhead Lake typically has ice-out around Apr 13. Ice typically forms around Nov 20. The open water season is approximately 221 days.
Can I fish at Bullhead Lake?
- Public access to Bullhead Lake is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Department of Agriculture - Pesticide Monitoring
MNDA_PESTICIDE1 sample · 2022 - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2022
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Ice data from Minnesota DNR Climate